Page 91 of Lock 'em Down

“Rhett, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. Be honest. What do you want, Cam? You can’t keep shrinking yourself, or your life, because you’re trying to live up to someone else’s expectations, or you’re scared, or you don’t feel worthy enough. That’s a cop-out and you used your pass three years ago. Now, it’s time to woman up. If you want to make your marriage work, do it. And if you don’t, give Leif a divorce and let him move on. But only because you don’t want to be with him, and you don’t want to put in the effort to try. Not because you’re making excuses.”

I sniffle as my brother drops some hard truths on my head. “I never thought you’d defend Leif.”

“Me neither,” Rhett admits. “But he sounds like a good guy.”

“The best.”

“Figure out your shit, Cam.”

“Thank you, Rhett.”

“I love you, Cami. I bet Leif does too. Maybe you should try being open to that. Text me when you get to the hotel.”

“I will,” I promise.

Rhett and I hang up and I tell the driver where to go.

Thirty minutes later, I’m settled into a simple, clean hotel room in Knoxville. It’s lonely and centering at the same time.

I miss Leif. I miss Honey Harbor.

But can I truly make him happy? Can we make our future bright and beautiful?

I don’t want to “make it work.” I want it to soar.

You can’t keep shrinking yourself, or your life, because you’re trying to live up to someone else’s expectations, or you’re scared, or you don’t feel worthy enough. That’s a cop-out…

With Rhett’s words ringing in my head, I take a shower. I dress in fresh clothes. I sling my purse across my body and decide to take a walk. Get some sunshine. I head to the Coffee Grid for a fresh latte.

I just sat down at a table in the back when a guy slips into the chair across from mine. I look up, about to tell him the table is already taken. I suck in a sharp breath instead.

“I’m not stalking you,” Levi Rousell promises. His hair is a mess, and his eyes are clearer than I’ve ever seen them. “You being here at the same time as me is kismet. Fate.” He snorts. “If you believe in those types of things.”

His words land like a kick to the breastplate.

I do. I believe in destiny.

I believe in chance encounters because it gifted me Leif.

But right now, I can take this moment and say my piece. Get the closure that has alluded me for years.

I sit up straighter and level Levi with a look. “I got your emails.”

“You didn’t answer.”

“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say,” I admit.

He snorts. It’s that same cavalier response I remember from Spain. When he didn’t have any worries—not a care in the world. When the future was tinged in possibility that stretched larger than what I could comprehend. Levi had the world at his fingertips, and he tossed a lot of it away. Not all of it, but a lot. “Do you need more time?” he jokes. “I can take a walk around the block and circle back.”

“Nah.” I shake my head. “I know what I want to say.” Then, I frown. “Why are you even here? The music festival is over.”

“My sponsor is from here. He opened a rehab facility with the support of the Harrison Foundation. I connected with a few people and check in a few times a year.”

“Oh, well, that’s respectable of you.”

Levi’s grin widens. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you at first. But now that I have, I can’t believe I could have ever forgotten you, Cami Coleman.”

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